Rather than run a full review of CalypsoCrystal’s new CalypsoCase for iPhone 5 ($170), we’ll simply say that we wouldn’t be able to recommend this sleeve to our readers. Just over a year ago, we reviewed the $120 first edition of the case fitted for the iPhone 4/4S, and found it to be a clear miss. Although attractively designed, the reinforced leather sleeve held onto the iPhone way too tightly — it took several minutes of significant pulling to finally remove it.
We were hoping that issue would be resolved with this new edition, but it in fact has not. Designed by Lara Bohnic, this CalypsoCase is undeniably attractive and the Italian leather is nice. However, once you insert your iPhone 5 all the way in, pulling it out is an arduous task, and you may fear that you won’t be able to remove it without destroying the case.
The original CalypsoCase was already seriously overpriced by iPhone case standards, and brought down even further by its functionality; the $170 price tag for this new version with the same issues is simply insane. Updated November 8, 2012: We’ve had a chance to test CalypsoCase a bit more extensively. While it has loosened up somewhat, we still find the fit to be much too tight.
